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Because the "magic sword" grants power to its wielder by slaying demons, in order not to fall behind others, they have to travel back and forth on the road to slay demons, not daring to waste a single second. This also prompts every sword wielder to engage in unconscious confrontation and struggle... But is this really the life he wants?
Thinking back to herself six months ago, Zhu Ruyi searched for Lingmeng 2 Lingba 5 Lingjiu Shan Liu and followed her true self.
He had no deep-seated hatred, nor any grand ideals; all he wanted was a status and the right to be free from humiliation and oppression. Of course, having truly felt the change in his status over the past two weeks, his goal had become to be superior to others—and he had already achieved it.
Imagine, who in China who knows "Feibai Sword" would dare to disrespect them now? Many things that were previously unthinkable or impossible are now just a matter of a word for "Feibai Sword".
Now that you've achieved your goal, is it necessary to continue taking risks?
For the swordsman, slaying demons and monsters is both an opportunity and a challenge. Successful ones become stronger, but many are also killed by various "accidents." Perhaps one day, when he encounters a mutant of Magneto's caliber, he will still have to kneel down.
When that time came, what was it that forced him to face death?
ideal?
He did not.
Target?
And it has been achieved.
So……
"It's no longer necessary."
Facing her true self, Zhu Ruyi suddenly realized: "Just like those people said, it's necessary to continue."
He used to be swept up by the tide and had to move forward in the turbulent waters, otherwise he would have been easily left behind and would never have achieved his current status. But what about now?
With the "outcasts" in the country either arrested or already on the run, there is practically a vacuum of "demons" in the country. As long as the situation is properly controlled, it will be impossible for a "Flying White Sword" or a "Left Killing Sword" to be born. Then, the channels for the sword wielders to go out will be blocked. Given his current status and position, it would not be difficult to do this as long as he officially cooperates with the authorities.
In this way, he can maintain his current superior status and avoid repeating the same boring "slaying demons and monsters" again and again. Beauty, status, wealth, isn't that his biggest goal in becoming the "Swordholder"?
As for any obstacles that may arise during this process... "Master Qionghua" is indifferent to worldly affairs, and "Left Killer Sword" is just a madman who is hated by everyone. The channels through which lower-level sword wielders obtain information are all in the hands of upper-level sword wielders. As long as one is determined, all of these can be "solved".
Thinking of this, Zhu Ruyi couldn't contain his excitement. The enjoyment he'd experienced over the past two weeks had made him instinctively resist returning to his old life. Now, with his thoughts flowing smoothly, he almost couldn't wait to pull out his phone and dial that special number. Only the magic sword at his waist trembled slightly—
"Hmm, Fei Bai? What's wrong?"
Feibai Sword Zhu Ruyi – Since it has such a title, the magic sword is naturally also called Feibai.
After slaying hundreds of "demons," this magic sword gained a kind of intelligence similar to artificial intelligence, and was able to issue a warning when Zhu Ruyi's life was threatened. This is one of the two reasons why the sword wielders were able to challenge the authorities with their human bodies (the other reason is the "Qionghua Sect Leader").
The strange behavior of the Flying White Sword puzzled Zhu Ruyi. It was neither a warning of danger nor a satisfaction from absorbing the power of "demons," but simply a tremor.
Although he couldn't understand it, out of caution, Zhu Ruyi still picked it up from his waist. From the cold, gleaming blade he had drawn, he was startled to see a shadow approaching from behind—
6. Lin Quan (four) 〒 Ba Ba Shi Ling Meng "——!"
At the critical moment, Zhu Ruyi suddenly turned around and simultaneously blocked the attack with the trembling Fei Bai sword in his hand: his hundreds of battle experiences told him that he could block it.
"laugh------"
—If the "magic sword" in one's hand does not tremble.
As she felt the magical power surging wildly from her heart and being absorbed by another "magic sword," a question arose in Zhu Ruyi's mind the moment she fell.
The swordsman gains power by slaying demons, so what is the scene he is facing now?
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With a blank expression, Xu Hongcai withdrew his left hand from the sword, shook off the remaining bloodstains on the blade, and looked at Zhu Ruyi's unseeing corpse with a mocking expression.
"You want to stop? Your 'sword' won't let you stop."
Xu Hongcai, the Left Killer Swordsman, is the second swordsman to stand out after Zhu Ruyi, the Flying White Swordsman.
Contrary to popular belief, he had already surpassed the first-ranked swordsman in terms of ability, and the reason he was able to obtain this power without any "demons" to slay was simple: to slay his own kind.
His suspicions had already been raised during the first encounter with that level-two mutant, due to his unusual behavior.
Is "Qionghua" truly a righteous sect that trades life force for power?
The fact that the "Qionghua Sect Leader" remained indifferent to the actions of the sword wielders was based on his conjecture. His question was answered after he killed another sword wielder on one occasion.
The one who wields the sword is indeed the one who wields the sword, but compared to the "sword" it wields, the person is the one who can be consumed—because the person is still a person, while the sword is no longer a "sword".
Marvel Universe: Chapter 846 The Gu (Part 2)
As the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., who was constantly monitoring the unusual phenomena in that Eastern country, Nick Fury had always harbored a question in his mind.
"...The agents alone have collected more than 3,000 cases with death certificates, but the number of 'cultivators' remains at 129,600. What do you think is the reason for this?"
"It's very simple: either they're concealing something, or they're providing additional information."
Nick Fury shook his head: "It's impossible to hide it. We've been keeping track of those 'cultivators' all along, since they might become people banned from entering the United States later. And as an aside... none of those who came down from 'Qionghua' were carrying that weapon called a 'magic sword'."
Black Widow perked up slightly: "Maybe they're just deceiving themselves."
"..."
Although he couldn't let it go, Nick Fury had no choice but to give up due to a lack of intelligence. After all, compared to the country across the ocean, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s real focus was still on the United States, especially with the sudden appearance of an "Iron Man".
Iron Man, whose full name is Anthony Edward Tony Stark, is the chairman of Stark Industries. A few months prior, during a kidnapping plot, he was struck in the chest by shrapnel, leaving him in critical condition. To save his life, with the help of the kidnapped physicist, Insen, Tony created the Arc Reactor to prevent the shrapnel from penetrating his heart, thus escaping death. He then used the Arc Reactor as an energy source to secretly build a high-tech suit, breaking through the encirclement and escaping. From then on, the playboy seemed to have fallen in love with this "career," beginning to identify himself as Iron Man and acting on his own initiative…
To be honest, S.H.I.E.L.D. already has a well-established procedure for dealing with such "superheroes": arrest them regardless of whether they are good or bad, and let them "contribute" to American freedom and democracy. However, this time the target is Tony Stark—the chairman of Stark Industries, one of the world's top arms manufacturers.
In this capitalist society, the government serves capital to a certain extent. Arresting the chairman of Stark Industries is like arresting a nobleman in feudal times. Even if he is powerless to resist, it will cause a strong reaction from a large number of nobles. Not to mention that "Iron Man" is not lacking in weapons and combat power.
Furthermore, Tony Stark's father has close ties to S.H.I.E.L.D., which forces Nick Fury to not simply arrest and imprison him like he would with other superheroes, but instead allow him to run rampant in America as "Iron Man."
This unavoidable "indulgence" has indirectly led to the infringement of the interests of many people. It should be noted that it is not only those low-level villains who are considered evil; sometimes criminals actually pay more taxes, and the American authorities choose to turn a blind eye in exchange for this—as long as it does not cause too much trouble.
But everything changed after Iron Man got involved.
Unable to resist, the capitalists eventually had to turn to the person in charge, and the one who ultimately took direct responsibility was S.H.I.E.L.D.—the department that deals with superheroes and supervillains.
Looking at the Stark Industries chairman's long list of misdeeds over the past six months, Nick Fury couldn't help but show a pained expression: "Maybe we should find him some work to do instead of focusing on those... well, the big taxpayers."
"Is this what you mean?"
"No, it means what the higher-ups mean."
"Wouldn't this be more suitable?"
With a hint of sarcasm, Black Widow placed a report on the table: "A group of homeless mutants smuggled themselves into America and then approached the Brotherhood, which had also lost its home... A huge destabilizing factor formed by mutants is likely to attract more attention than kidnappers."
Nick Fury, who has been in contact with superheroes for a long time, also thinks so. As long as superheroes live among people with a human mindset, they will get tired of certain people they have been in contact with for a long time, just like humans. After half a year of "fighting for justice", Iron Man should have been tired of those ordinary criminals. At this time, it should not be a bad thing for a bunch of mutants to enter his field of vision.
Moreover, the greatest danger, Magneto, has disappeared and should no longer pose any threat to the chairman of Stark Industries.
However, for safety's sake, ①Wo Ling Er abandoned it—
"Inform Professor X that if he wants to cooperate with the government to eliminate the divide between mutants and humans, he must show sincerity."
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He changed his name, crossed the ocean, and went to a foreign land—finally setting foot on this unfamiliar land. The whole process was not as wonderful as Ning Feng had imagined.
To conceal his identity, he did not set foot on American soil through official channels, but instead came here illegally. Unlike others who also chose to enter illegally, he did not have a "guide"... or rather, he used to have one, but no longer does.
Despite the smugglers carrying the "magic sword," they did not feel uneasy about the unknown environment. When a gang member on the bed tried to intimidate them to get more "fare," the swordsman, who had just gained power, drew his sword without hesitation.
In terms of results, killing ordinary people did not bring him any benefits—only slaying "demons" could make him stronger, but the exhilarating sense of accomplishment that filled his heart was incomparable to anything else, especially when he saw them kneeling in front of him and begging for mercy, which deeply stimulated the long-suppressed mania in Ning Feng's heart.
However, he paid a price for this: once he set foot on land, he received no guidance whatsoever and could only barely discern the direction of the road to move forward.
Recalling his experiences after leaving "Qionghua", Ning Feng felt a surge of passion in his heart.
The frequency is five times. Anyone who climbs to the top five times in a row using their own abilities can learn the "truth". They obtain the magic sword in various "ways" and become the sword wielders who inherit the dead. However, Ning Feng was relatively lucky. He did not become one of the 93% fatality rate caused by attacking the sword wielder as a mortal. Instead, he was approached by a mysterious sword wielder before that.
He handed Ning Feng an unclaimed magic sword, with only one request: to use it on American soil.
Then he left. Ning Feng didn't suspect anything because he knew it was definitely a trap, but so what?
He considered it reasonable as the price to pay for gaining power.
Marvel Universe: Chapter 847 Chain Reaction
Perhaps influenced by his childhood and youth spent in concentration camps, it is estimated that even Magneto himself did not know at the beginning that the Brotherhood of Mutants he founded would eventually appear in another extreme form similar to Nazism.
The Brotherhood of Mutants, often referred to as the Evil Brotherhood of Mutants, embodies a radical and violent nature that is vividly reflected in its core principles. Led by Magneto, the Brotherhood of Mutants advocates for the superiority of mutants over humans, claiming that one day they will replace or enslave humanity, becoming the true rulers of the world—a decisive end to human oppression of mutants.
In a sense, this is a typical example of "we can't solve the problem, but we solve the people who create the problem."
The Brotherhood of Mutants was founded in the 1960s. Its original members included several powerful mutants such as Paul the Toad, Jason Voorhees, Astra, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Magneto. However, conflicts arose during their struggle for mutant status, which eventually led to the Brotherhood's disintegration. As a result, the current Brotherhood of Mutants is now only being held together by Magneto.
With Magneto's "disappearance," the Brotherhood of Mutants' fate is inevitably coming to an end... barring any unforeseen circumstances.
"You're the strongest mutant in the Brotherhood?"
The location was a secret facility in the United States. After the original base was destroyed by the impact of the "giant sword", the Brotherhood moved its base under Magneto's leadership. As Magneto went to the Eastern country, the Brotherhood fell into silence, continuing to build up its power and waiting for the next outbreak. However, it did not expect that this "outbreak" would be directly ended in a foreign land.
As the time since his communication with Magneto was cut off has increased, the likelihood that he is dead has also grown.
At first, only a portion of the mutants felt uneasy and anxious, but with the sudden disappearance of the first mutant, even those who had been waiting could no longer sit still.
Ultimately, mutants join the Brotherhood partly because of the organization's mission and beliefs: mutants will replace humans and become the masters of the world. But for most mutants, they simply need a space where they can live a normal life without having to hide from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s searches.
The Brotherhood with Magneto was once a good choice. Although the mutants' strength could not directly confront the power of the state, they could at least maintain a semblance of dignity. But now that Magneto has "disappeared," they naturally have no reason to stay.
After all, Magneto isn't the only mutant organization in this country.
……
This resulted in a situation where the Swordholders, who had infiltrated the Brotherhood first, spent a great deal of time and energy finding the Brotherhood's stronghold and preparing to wreak havoc, only to discover that there were barely any members there. The only strongest mutant stationed in the vast Brotherhood was merely a Level 3 mutant.
For the Swordholders in their first two months, Level 3 mutants were indeed a formidable opponent, but now...
Ignoring the desperate pleas for mercy from the person in front of him, the swordsman expressionlessly swung his blade down, then turned his gaze back to his back as the stench of blood filled the air: "What do we do now?"
“Going back is impossible. Our decision to infiltrate here despite our resolve has already violated the agreement. Even if we were to go back, we would face judgment from the other Swordholders.”
"I know, the problem is that we've run out of resources now."
The little bit of "magic power" he had just acquired did not calm him down; instead, it made him even more agitated: "We risked our lives to travel thousands of miles to get here just for this?"
"...Calm down, don't let power consume your heart."
After cautiously creating some distance, the swordsman softened his tone: "Besides, this may not necessarily be a bad thing."
"What do you mean?"
"Leaving aside the Hellfire Club, for which we don't have concrete information yet, what other organization or force in the United States do you think would easily accept a group of mutants of unknown origin?"
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"Professor X, this is the list of the third batch of personnel from yesterday."
"Put it down, child. You've had a hard time."
"This is what I should do... but is this really okay?"
"There's nothing good or bad about it; I just did what I was supposed to do."
Looking directly into those eyes, the unease in his heart gradually subsided. The mutant smiled again, took his leave, and did not see the pained expression on his face.
"Marx... my friend, are you really leaving like this?"
If we were to name the person in the world most heartbroken by Magneto's death, Professor X would undoubtedly be among them. Their relationship cannot be described simply as that of friends or enemies. They lived in the same era, shared the same ideals, but were forced to take different paths due to their conflicting approaches.
Even so, they still see each other as people who act for mutants and are worthy of entrusting everything to.
This explains the conversation that took place on Mount Everest: after Magneto, representing "evil," died, Professor X, representing "good," had to shoulder his share of responsibility, leading to the scene we see today.
Despite the pressure from the national level, Professor X unconditionally accepted the influx of mutants from the Brotherhood, providing them with protection while also restricting their actions. If it were only a hostile group among the upper echelons of the United States, it would be fine. But if it really came to a last resort, Professor X was prepared to use the "Cerebro" for the sake of the mutants' continuation. However, what truly made him uneasy was the existence on the other side of the ocean.
To this day, Professor X still doesn't know why he pushed the situation to an irreconcilable point of confrontation, but his actions of expelling mutants, killing Magneto, and declaring war on the Brotherhood all demonstrate his dangerous nature.
For ordinary people, "Qionghua" may just be an object that can be used, but for mutants, it represents endless struggle and killing.
"Something's wrong, Professor X!"
As he racked his brains trying to figure out how to resolve this mutant crisis, a sudden voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Captain Scott was attacked while chasing the criminal, and the rest of the X-Men are on their way!"
Upon hearing this news, Professor X's first reaction was not to question, but to directly connect his thoughts to the brainwave enhancement machine. The next second, "brainwaves" large enough to cover the entire Earth converged on a chaotic area. In that intricate collision of thoughts, he saw a dark spot in the heart that could not be seen.
P.S.: Fourth update. Please vote at the beginning of the month.
Marvel Universe: Chapter 848 Wolverine
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